This Is Not A Test (Certificate Unknown / NA)

Synopsis:

"A nuclear attack has been launched against the US. In the middle of the night, on a lonely country highway, a police radio blares this chilling message. There is no mistake, missiles have been launched. This first alarm is the beginning of a tense drama that pits an unlikely group of late-night travelers against a brutal deputy sheriff all of them on a road to an unknown and horrific destiny."

Filmed back in 1962 for less than $2000, 'This Is Not A Test" is a low budget rarity tackling the prospect of a nuclear holocaust. The film stars mostly unheard of actors whose performance (especially that of Deputy Sheriff Dan Colter, played by Seamon Glass) is pretty diabolical throughout. For a completely character-driven film this is somewhat of a problem.

We watch as the Deputy Sheriff throws his authority around, ordering the other late-night travelers to set up their temporary bomb shelter within the lorry's interior, whether they like the idea or not. An escaped killer is thrown in to the storyline from early on, obviously to spice up the film a little, but the sub-plot has no real direction and as such, fails to really take any part in the developing circumstances.

All in all the film had a great opportunity to tackle the dilemma of a nuclear attack in the early sixties, with an interesting approach to how to get around such a miniscule budget. Unfortunately due to weak acting, poor editing and an inconsistent storyline, the film has no impact whatsoever. The film is still an enjoyable watch nonetheless, and definitely worth seeing if you're interested in the apocalyptic genre.